Nutcracker.



E. A. BOSTROM.

' NUTGRAGKBR.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.29, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

A TTOH/VEY ERNST A. BOSTROM, OF ATLANTA, GEGRGI.

NUTCRACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, i914.

Application led October 29, 1913. Serial No. 797,999.

To all Iwlw/1t t may concern Be it known that I, ERNs'r A. Bos'rnoii, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nutcrackers, of which t-he following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in nut crackers, of that type in which a nut is held in proper position on a suitable support and receives a sharp, quick blow to crack, split or break the same.

In my improved construction I utilize a spring for imparting the required force to the blow, the parts being so constructed that the breaking, cracking or splitting member' is first moved away from the nut to eect a distortion of the spring, and is then released to impart the blow.

My improved construction embodies various important features by means of which the force of the blow may be controlled by varying the distortion of the spring, and the normal distance between the nut support and the blow delivering member may be regulated.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention and therefore the accompanying drawings are to be considered in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.

One main embodiment of my invention is illustrated in these drawings to which reference is to be made, and in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a side elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an edge view of said device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line zc-.fc of Fig. 2; and Figs. fl and 5 are sectional details showing a slightly modified form of construction, Fig. 5 being a section on the line I2/ y of Fig. l.

ln the specific form illustrated, l provide a main body member preferably in the form of a casting and including a. base l() adapted to serve as a support for the nut to b`e cracked, a boss or collar 1l through which the hammer or blow-delivering member operates, and connecting portions l2 preferably in the form of oppositely disposed arms. The base 10 is preferably of somewhat greater width than the thickness of the arms l2 and presents a surface opposed to but spaced from the inner end of the boss or collar ll. This surface may be roughened, recessed or formed in any suitable manner so as to prevent the nut from slipping laterally when struck. As shown the base l0 has a central conical recess i3 around the edges of which are sharp projections lAA which act. with the recess to center and retain the nut. Through the boss or collar ll. extends a sleeve l5 which may be adjusted endwise toward or from the nut support, preferably by screw thread connections. The sleeve may be provided with flanges, knobs or other projections 16 above the end of the collar ll and by means of which the sleeve may be easily turned by hand. The pitch and size of the threads are such that the sleeve may be adjusted through a considerable range by a very few turns. Extending lengthwise through the sleeve is a plunger 17 terminatinO' at the lower end in a head 1S adapted to engage with the nut to break, cr .ck or split the latter, and terminating at the upper end in a knob, head or handle 1). The body portion of the plunger is somewhat smaller than the internal diameter of the sleeve so that there is sullicient space left for a coil spring 20, one end of which normally abuis against the head 18 or any other suitable stop at the lower end of the plunger and the opposite end of which normally abuts against an inwardly directed flange 2l, or other suitable stop adjacent the upper end of the sleeve l5. The knob or head if) may be of any suitable character but it is de sirable to have it of such sha-pe and size that it may be readily grasped in the hand to pull up the plunger as hereinafter more fully set forth. As shown the head is )rovided with a skirt or annular flange portion 22 encircling and teleseoping with the upper end of the sleeve above the part lo. The length of the plunger is such that the head 1S normally projects slightly beyond the lower end of the sleeve and its further downward movement is limited by the engagement of the handle of head t9 with the upper end of the sleeve.

I have shown the blow-delivering head l5 as being provided with an annular series of' projections or points 23, e circling a conical recess in the head, and corresponding to the projections l/l of the base. Tt is of course evident that the contacting tace oit this blowdelivering member or haunner may be ot any desired character and in some instances may be especially designed 'tor a particular kind of nut to be cracked. l may provide this head with a single sharp centrally dis posed projection adapted to split the shell ot the nut rather than crush or break it.

Yln the specific 'torni illustrated in Figs. l, '2 and the sleeve l5 is held Within the boss or collar ll by ordinary screw threads and one complete rotation necessary for an endu'ise advancement ol thtI sleeve through a distance equal to the pitch ot' the thread. .iny other suitable mechanism may be employed tor normally preventing the endvvise movement ot the sleeve during the operation o1 cracking or breaking a nut but permitting of such endivise movement in the adjusting oit theA device. ln Figs. il and 5 l have shoivn the bore oit the boss llZt provided Ywith a series of short screiv threads 2i, each thread extending only part Way around the inner surface oi the bore. The sleeve lo adapted to cooperate with this form of thread may have the threads thereon cut aivay along one side to form a groove of a width equal to the length ot the threads Q-il. Thus ilI the sleeve be rotated to bring the threads 2l opposite the said groove, the sleeve may move endWise treely without rotation. lWhen the sleeve has been moved endivise to the desired position a partial rotation oit the sleeve ivill bring the threads into registry and prevent further endvvise movement oit the sleeve. Various other means may be provided to accomplish the same result ttor instance the sleeve may be provided vvith a series of projections movable through a groove in the boss or collar ll and adapted to enter recesses at the edge of the grooves upon the partial rota-tion ot the sleeve.

ln using my improved device the nut to be cracked is placed on the base portion 10 and is properly centered and positioned by the recess 1 3 and the projections let. The sleeve l5 is rotated to bring the lovver end either directly into engagement with the nut so as to positively lock the latter in place or it desired the end oit the sleeve may be lett at ak very short distance from the nut. ly pulling upwardly on the handle 19 the spring 2O ivill be put under compression and the head 18 Will be drawn aivay from the nut. Upon releasing the handle 19 thel spring will `lorce the head 1S directly toward, and into engagement with the nut to break, crack or split the latter. lt ivill be noted that the torce ot the bloiv is dependent upon the strength ot the spring and the distance to which the head 1S is moved aivay from the nut before it is released. The sides oit theA nut may be readily held between the thumb and linger wit-hout any danger of noeaee injury as the blow-delivering head or hammer is properly guided and can not strike except at one point. Furthermore, the head lt; can only move out oit.' the end oit the sleeve a limited distance so that the nut can not be completely crushed by the head and the said head cannot come in contact with the base or approach it so near as to make possible the pounding of the thumb or .tinger by the head. It all of the nuts to be cracked are ot approxinuitely the saine size, it is not necessary to adjust the sleeve for each nut and the ojieration oit' cracking the nuts may be carried on with great rapidity. Even though the nuts vary greatly in size the sleeve may be very easily and quickly adjusted to bring the blow delivering head into proper position for each nut.

llaving thus described my invention, what l claim is:

l. )i nut cii'acker having in combination a nut support, a member normally stationary in respect thereto but adjustable toward and trom the same, and a blow delivering member guided by said lirst-mentioned member.

2. A nut cracker having in combination a nut support, a member normally stationary in respect thereto but adjustable toivard and trom the same, and a blow delivering member guided by said first-mentioned member and suppo ted thereby.

3. A nut cracker having in combination a nut support, a member normally stationary in respect thereto but adjustable toivard and .trom the same, a bloiv delivering member guided by said first-mentioned member, and a spring having engagement with both of said members and normally tending to move said blow delivering member toward said support.

l. ln combination, a nut support, a sleeve normally stationary but movable longitudinally toward and from said support and a plunger member movable longitudinally through said sleeve and provided With a head constituting a blow-delivering member.

5. ln combination, a nut support, a sleeve normally held rigid in respect thereto but adjustable longitudinally toward and from the same, a blow-delivering member movable lengthwise through said sleeve und a spring within said sleeve normally tending to movesaid blow-delivering member toward said support.

G. in combination, a nut support, a collar spaced therefrom and rigid in respect thereto, a sleeve longitudinally adjustable through said collar, and toward and from said support` a member movable lengthwise through said sleeve and adapted to impart a blouY to a nut on said support and a spring Within said sleeve normally tending to torce said member toivard said support.

7. ln combination, a body member including a nut support, a collar spaced therefrom l1 llt) and aii'ns holding said collar rigid in respect l circling said plunger and normally tending to said support, an externally threaded I to nove said head toward said support.

sleeve adjustable lengthwise through said Signed at Atlanta in the county of Fulvollar, a plunger extending through said ton and State of Georgia this 22 day of 5 sleeve and having a bloW-deivering head at Oetober A. D. 1913.

one end noi'inall)T spaced rom said supi Tk n port and having a handle atthe opposite ERB ST A' BOSIROM' end whereby the blow-delivering head may be moved away from said support and a l0 coiled spring Within said sleeve and en-A lVitnesses L. V. VOUGHT, YV. T. JORDAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

